Griffey headed to White Sox

Thursday

Jul 31, 2008 at 12:01 AMJul 31, 2008 at 7:52 PM

Ken Griffey Jr.'s uneven tenure with the Cincinnati Reds is over. His pursuit of a championship has just begun.

The Reds traded the future Hall of Fame outfielder to the Chicago White Sox today for two fringe prospects, ending a relationship that was often testy, occasionally thrilling and ultimately unfulfilling.

Ken Griffey Jr.’s uneven tenure with the Cincinnati Reds is over. His pursuit of a championship has just begun.

The Reds traded the future Hall of Fame outfielder to the Chicago White Sox today for two fringe prospects, ending a relationship that was often testy, occasionally thrilling and ultimately unfulfilling.

In exchange for Griffey, the Reds received reliever Nick Masset and infielder Danny Richar. Masset went 1-0 with a 4.63 ERA in 32 appearances for the White Sox, while Richar is an athletic middle infielder who hit just .230 in 56 big-league games last season.

Rookie Jay Bruce likely will move from center field to right field, a move that seemed destined to happen for the past year. Griffey is in the final year of an expensive contract, and Bruce has been considered one of the top prospects in baseball. Jerry Hairston Jr. and Corey Patterson likely will play center field for the remainder of the season.

The Reds reportedly discussed trading left fielder Adam Dunn, who also is in the final season of his contract, but a deal appears unlikely with the non-waiver trading deadline approaching at 4 p.m. this afternoon.

Griffey joins a White Sox team that leads the American League Central by 1 1/2 games over the Minnesota Twins, but it is also a team with no obvious spot for a corner outfielder with chronically aching legs. The Sox already have Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye in the outfield corners and Jim Thome at designated hitter. It appears Griffey will play center field, with former Ohio State standout Nick Swisher moving to first base to share time with the struggling Paul Konerko.

Griffey, 38, is hitting .245 with 15 home runs and 53 RBI. He remains a decent power threat late in his career, particularly in a homer-friendly ballpark such as Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field. The ball carries well down the right- and left-field lines.

Griffey is owed at least another $8 million — roughly $4 million on his 2008 salary, with a team option for 2009 worth $16.5 million or a $4 million buyout. The Reds will pay at least a portion of that $8 million.

The Reds are 51-58 and 13 1/2 games behind the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central. They have not had a winning record since 2000, Griffey’s first year with the club.

The Cincinnati native arrived that year as a superstar at the top of his game, but the excitement quickly fizzled. Griffey struggled with injuries, and his relationship with Reds fans grew icy. It seemed to thaw a bit this season, particularly around the time Griffey hit his 600th career home run, but just last week he described himself as a “lightning rod” for angry fans.